Eternity
by TheMagicWorks
Summary: Her heart was pounding harder than ever before. Harder than when Barney had kissed her, harder than when she'd got promoted. Her thoughts attacked her brain, thoughts of fear and panic but also thoughts of Barney. It was so overwhelming in her head that she didn't even realize she was being shoved into the wall.


**She never wanted it to change, for this to be for eternity. **

The city lights strolled by, dancing past the window in their brightness. She passed the subway and eventually came to a stop about a minute from a little, old pub, MacLaren's. Robin got out of the taxi from work and insisted the cab driver keep the change, she didn't need it. Her newest pay check in her bank was bigger than ever before and she was buying for everyone tonight. She shut the door and the yellow cab flew off down the street.

Robin straightened her skirt and started to walk down the sidewalk to the pub. She predicted that the guys were at the table. Nothing ever changed, and she loved it. Marshall and Lily on one side, hands intertwined, a bottle or five on the table in front of them. Ted probably with a new girl or alone again. He was probably moaning about life and marriage and work. And Barney, either with the others, kicking back, a sarcastic tone to all his comments or at the bar, thrusting himself at some girl in a new suit. And all she wanted is what Lily had with Marshall.

Her heels clicked on the sidewalk and she held her little bag close to her. MacLaren's was in sight, and to be honest she was dying for a drink. Her phone vibrated. She pulled it out of her pocket, saw it was Barney, rolled her eyes instinctively, then answered quickly.

"Yes Barney?"

"Where are you Scherbatsky? We're waiting!"

"I'm on my way to you guys right now. Calm it."

"Thank god, Ted's boring me with his useless facts, Lily and Marshall are being an icky couple and no hot girls are in tonight."

"So you want me to entertain you right?" she sighed into her phone.

"Well if you're offering.." Barney said, a sexual tone to his voice.

"Ew no! Okay, I'm on my way, I'll have a beer."

"Alright, hurry up then! You know I hate when you're late."

"Seriously? I'm nearly a block away. I'll be fine."

"Okay. Bye."

"Yeah.. Hey, Barney?"

"Yep?" Robin paused, she should tell him that she loved him right? Come out with it.

"Nothing, nothing. Bye, Barney." Robin hung up sadly, and stuffed her phone quickly back into her handbag. She'd do it one day.. It was dark tonight, she thought. There were hardly ever people out on this street but it was quiet, too quiet...

It was then that she heard something behind her move. She felt the hairs on her neck stick up and a shiver run down her spine. Anxiously, she glanced behind her to see a figure there. He was hunched, limping, a massive jacket draped over him. She couldn't see his face. Infact she couldn't see any details or features of this person, as the lights were duller here.

Robin was smart. She knew that it was starting to become cooler at night winter approaching quickly but one thing was for sure. It was definitely not cool enough to have a jacket like that on. It hit her like a ton of bricks and she gasped. Her pace quickened almost instantly. She passed by another alley as fast as she could but slow enough not to be running. Robin's hearing helped her tell that, as her pace rapidly quickened, so did the pace of the person behind.

Her heart was pounding harder than ever before. Harder than when Barney had kissed her, harder than when she'd got promoted. Her thoughts attacked her brain, thoughts of fear and panic but also thoughts of Barney. It was so overwhelming in her head that she didn't even realize she was being shoved. She was tossed against the brick wall opposite her beloved pub and she yelped as the wall grazed her cheek.

"Hey sweetie." Suddenly she screamed, fully aware of what was happening. Her head hit the wall again, and it hurt. "Just hand over the little bag and we can say goodbye." A gruff voice said, much too close for comfort. She could smell his breath, a vile, consuming stench and it made it harder for her to breathe. Robin managed to clutch at her bag and scream again, scream for help.

She didn't realize she hadn't spoken. Her mouth was dry, her screaming useless. She moaned again because something hard was being pressed into her lower back. She knew it could be a pipe, a hand or even worse a gun.

"I said, money, now!" He repeated, his voice raised. he grunted after each sentence, pushing Robin harder into the wall. She whimpered, a tear flowing down her cheek.

"Please," she said as the man felt through her pockets, through her bag.

The man was reaching around, trying to get his hands on Robin as she tried to grab her phone, screaming. Suddenly she heard a voice.

"Hey! Let her go. Now."

The man who was holding Robin threw her to the ground and ran as fast as he could. She never saw where she went she just closed her eyes in pain and fear.

"Robin!" a small voice she recognized as Lily's shriek.

Before her knees had the floor, however, someone was gripping her shoulders, catching her. It wasn't Lily.. This grip was different but familiar. Soft, yet still firm. Her eyes snapped open and she held herself tighter almost pinching to check she was alive. She knew that voice. Barney.

Robin wanted to cry, to break down but that wasn't her.

"You don't have to have it together all the time Scherbatsky." he said to her gently.

She swallowed hard, her throat dry and crisp and her chapped lips trembled. She reached for her pounding head, trying to soothe the pain. Rain slowly began to hammer down on them. She considered how terrible she probably looked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just shocked.. How did you know?"

"I heard you scream.. I know your voice Robin. It was terrifying. I told you to stay safe!"

"I tried. Sorry."

"I should've come sooner.."

"Barney-"

"I'll find him, I'll kill him.."

"Barney-"

"Did he hurt you? Oh your cheek, it's jsut a little grazed, does it hurt?" he whispered stroking her face.

"It's nothing."

"It's nothing? You could've died! Are you really okay?"

"Barney.."

"I'm just checking okay, you're special to me Robin."

Rain began to fall onto her face but she didn't care, tears streamed down her face and her heart was like a drum. She blinked, water hitting her cheeks. Slowly she looked up. He was here and that meant everything. A smile. "Thank you.."

She caught only a glimpse of his troubled face before she threw herself at him. He was sopping with rain water. In a second she was burying her face hard in his chest as she burst into tears again. Her hand reached under his arm and gripped his shoulder from the other side. He smelled so good, so awesome.

He sighed, hugging her tightly, holding her in the circle of his arms as their friends watched from afar. She was safe, safer than ever now.

"He, he could have hurt you. Barney.." she whimpered.

"Worth it," he croaked stroking her hair. His glossy, teary eyes were sad, not happy like she loved. She saw him swallow a lump in his throat. He was really worried.

"Barney, I wanted to tell you something on the phone, and I guess now's a good enough time because-"

Barney stopped Robin's talking and not in the way she'd planned. His hand reached up to trace along her lip and she trembled. "I love you Barney."

She pushed his hand down and their lips met. His hands were on her cheek softly, rubbing with his thumb. Then his left hand was on the side of her neck and he was pressing against her.

Lily sighed, and smiled into Marshall. Ted looking on calmly and accepting the fact that Robin really wasn't the one. She was happy. They went back inside, sliding back into the booth grinning at each other and laughing.

"I love you too." he uttered into her ear, hands holding her closer. She reached up to his face, breathless. Barney felt wet marks on his face. She was crying softly. They kissed again, and Robin opened her mouth, feeling Barney's hot air on the back of her neck. Her hands wandered up his back and played with his hair slowly, pulling him closer to her. Rain dripped on them cold and wet. Robin took a deep breath pulling apart from him and watched his eyes burst open.

They started laughing. And he laughed, pure and rich like a little kid, draped an arm around her and steered her into MacLaren's. They saw their friends and smiled again.

**She never wanted it to change, for this to be for eternity. **


End file.
